Sullivan South, Emmett achieve Level 5 status for third year in a row

Staff reports
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Sep 4, 2018 at 1:30 PM

BLOUNTVILLE — More than 50 percent of all Sullivan County schools scored a Level 3 composite or higher in the recent release of TVAAS (Tennessee Value-Added Assessment System) scores by the Tennessee Department of Education. Most notably, Sullivan South High School and Emmett Elementary have achieved a Level 5 status in growth for the third year in a row.

A Level 3 represents a year’s progress or improvement growth, while a Level 1 is little to no progress and a Level 5 well exceeds a year’s growth.

South scored a 5 in numeracy, literacy, literacy & numeracy and social studies. Emmett once again scored 5s in numeracy, literacy, literacy & numeracy as well, Director of Schools Evelyn Rafalowski said.

Miller Perry Elementary and Sullivan East High are also Level 5 schools this year. Miller Perry has shown the greatest growth of any Sullivan County school, scoring a Level 5 in every category except a 4 in social studies. East has powered from a Level 3 school last year to a 5 in 2017-18, achieving a Level 5 status in literacy, numeracy and literacy & numeracy.

Other schools showing improvement are Sullivan Central High and Holston Elementary, which moved from a Level 3 to a 4 overall composite. Holston Middle, North Middle and Blountville Elementary improved to an overall composite Level 3.

As a district, Sullivan County Schools attained a Level 5 in End of Course (EOC) Biology I, English I and English III. Also scoring a Level 5 were fourth grade ELA and grades 7 and 8 math.

Rafalowski told the Board of Education at its Thursday evening work session that the middle schools seemed to have the toughest time with TVAAS, possibly because of testing problems with the state’s online program that required students to delay test taking.